(2004-01-25) French Small Portions

There is less Obesity in France because the food portions are smaller. "While the French eat more fat than Americans, they probably eat slightly fewer calories, which when compounded over the years can amount to substantial differences in weight," said Paul Rozin, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. One theory: more efficient production systems reduce the portion of total cost which is from the product itself, ergo it is more profitable to maintain a price and increase portion size than to reduce prices. (Actually, the study sounds fuzzy enough that I'm dubious about its conclusions, but it's worth some more precise analysis...) (Physical Fitness)